When casting with an open face reel, such as with a spinning reel mounted on a conventional spinning rod, the casting line peels off of the reel spool in the form of spirals. As the relatively large spirals are forced through the guides on the rod, friction is produced and energy is wasted at each of the guides. Consequently, the line is slowed and the cast distance is reduced. The problem is greatly increased when stronger (heavier) lines are used.
The severest friction occurs at the guides that are closest to the reel. However, merely eliminating those guides in a conventional rod does not solve the problem. Without those guides a conventional spinning rod would collide with the line spirals, during the cast swing, resulting in fouled line and a failed cast.
Therefore, commonly used spinning rods are limited to using very thin lines, wherein line strength is sacrificed.
Heavier lines can be used in some bait casting systems. In these systems, however, energy is consumed during the cast to overcome the initial spool inertia in order to produce the necessary high speed spool rotations. Still more of the cast energy is lost to the various means of reducing backlash. These energy losses in concert with friction produced at the guides, slow the line speed and shorten the length of the cast.
The present invention is a substantially improved casting system. It provides a means of casting very high strength lines, including braided lines, over relatively long distances without backlash. In addition to fishing, the device can be employed in several other important applications.